Drinking fountain



c. F. OWEN. DRINKING FOUNTAIN. APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, I920- 1,421,296. Patented June 27, 19 22.

III/I,

, gnoentm CEARLES F. OWEN, OF MILW'AUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO RUNDLE-SPENGE MANUFACTURING 00., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- CONSIN.

DRINKING FOUNTAIN.

T 0 all to 710m it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. OWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drinking Fountains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drinking fountains which are installed in public places and relates primarily to a drinking fountain head which may be associated with suitable means for catching the overflow.

Objects of this invention are to provide a device which will protect the fountain head from contact with portions of the users body; to provide a device which may be readily attached to the usualfittings; and to provide a device which is extremely simple and which may be readily and cheaply manufactured.

Prior devices designed to secure the above enumerated objects are extremely complicated and entirely fail of the accomplishment ot' such objects.

The subject matter of the present invention is extremely simple and may be readily made with a minimum of machine work and labor in its construction.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the fountain head, showing in one-half of the figure a portion of the head broken away to better illustrate the construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the center of the fountain head.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the fountain head showing a portion of the fitting in section.

The drinking fountain head is formed primarily of one integral casing comprising side walls 1, a lower portion 2 arranged to receive the fitting and an upper or top wall This fountain head has a central cavity 1 which is in direct communication with a passageway of the pipe or fitting 6 on which the fountain head is screwed, the portion and the fitting 6 being threaded. An opening 7 passes through the top portion 1 and at its upper surface and is centrally located. This opening 7, as will be seen in Fig. 2, extends downwardly through the top 3 at a slight slant making a small angle with the axis of the fountain head. The object of this slanting opening is to project a. drinking stream 8 upwardly at the head, of the fountain. surface 15 of the member 10 is similarly Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented June 27, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 383,110.

a slight angle so that the falling stream will clear the fountain head and so the crest of the stream will occupy a small lateral space. The central portion of the head 3 is spaced from the outer peripheral portion 9 and the inner surface of the outer periphery of the portion 9 is threaded. A nut or member 10 is similarly threaded and is arranged to be screwed downwardly into this opening and to partially close the same. The member 10 in its final position seats upon a shoulder 11 formed in the fountain head body. When this member 10 is screwed in place, a horizontal annular opening 12 is provided. A plurality of holes 13 serve to place the annular space 12 in communication with the cavity 4 in the main body of the fountain head. The outer surface 14 of 'the central portion of the bubbler head is cone shaped with the apex of the cone below The juxtaposed shaped so as to provide between such surfaces an annular outwardly slanting slit 16. The cross sectional area of the slit 16 is greater than the total cross sectional area of the openings 13.

In operation this drinking fountain projects a central slanting stream upwardly from the fountain head through the opening 7, such stream being indicated at 8. An

' annular outwardly slanting curtain of water 17 is projected upwardly out of the slit 13. It will be noted that the height of the curtain of water 17 is materially less than the height of the central jet 8. This is secured by the relative proportioning of the cross sectional area of the annular slit 16 and the total cross sectional area of the openings 13. By having the former in excess of the latter, the water in the slit is not subjected to the same pressure as the water in the opening 7 This reduction in pressure causes the annular curtain of water to be projected upwardly to a less height than the central stream.

The relative heights of the streams of water are predetermined as the height of the shoulder 11, by which the width of the slit 16 is determined, is fixed upon at the factory and subsequent tampering and interference with the adjustment of the stream is avoided.

By this invention, a fountain head has been produced which may be readily manu- 4'0 tion provided with an orifice and a factured. The main portion of the fountain head maybe cast in one piece. The central hole 7 (may, if desired, be either cored out or unarmed out. The holes 13 similarly may be either cored or machined and if ma chined, may be readily reached prior to the insertion of the member 10. The fountain "lieaclconiprises a minimum number of parts which, as it has been seen, may be readily manufactured and assembled.

Iclaim:

1. A drinking fountain head comprising a casing adapted to be screwed upon a fiting; "said casing having a top member proiiidedwith ac'entral orifice, and a surround- "iiig slit through which water is adapted to be projected; said central orifice being in :direct communication with the interior of saidcasing, and said slit being in communi- 2 cation; With the interior of said casing through an independent passageway of re stricted cross section relatively to that of the slit.

2. A drinking fountain'head comprising a coneshapod casing having a threaded lower opening, adapted to engage a fitting, and having an integral top portion; said top 1 portion comprisinga thin perforated web, and a thickened central portion provided 3 with an orifice therethrough; and a second member surrounding said tli'ibkened central portion and providing a slit between said thickened central portion and said member. A 'bubbler fountain head comprising a cone shaped casing having a contracted lower portion provioed with a threaded opening avenged to engage a fitting and provided with an integral top portion, said top portion having a thiekened central porperforated web joining said thickened central portion and the cone shaped side walls of said head, and a member adapted to be secured to said casing and to surround the thickened central portion of said top and to provide therewitha slit in'communication with the perforations through said web.

4. A drinking fountain head comprising a casing adapted to be secured upon a fitting; said casing having a top member provided with an inclined orifice, and a sur rounding slit; said inclined orifice being in direct communication with the interior oi said casing, and said slit being in communication with the interior of said casing through passageway of restricted cross clined stream of water upwardly, and havingmeans forprojecting a surrounding curtain of water to a lesser height than said stream and Within the trajectory of said stream, saidorificea-nd said means being'in direct communication with said chamber to cause simultaneous starting and stopping of said stream and curtain.

"In testimony whereoifl afiix my signature in the presence'of two witnesses.

CHARLES OWEN.

Wi tnesses A. J. MCKERTHAN, J. Moss. 

